Updated January 2026

How to Fill Out a Waste Transfer Note (Step-by-Step + Example)

A practical, field-by-field guide to completing a UK Waste Transfer Note correctly — whether you are using the government template on paper or a digital system. Covers every required field, what each section means, what to watch out for, and a real worked example.

8 min readLast updated: January 2026Author: WasteBolt Team

This guide covers non-hazardous Waste Transfer Notes. Hazardous waste requires a separate Hazardous Waste Consignment Note with different legal requirements. If you are unsure whether your waste is hazardous, check the EWC code — entries marked with an asterisk (*) are hazardous.

Watch our step-by-step video walkthrough before you read on — it covers all the key sections in under 5 minutes.

Before you start: what you need to hand

Completing a WTN mid-collection without the right information to hand is the most common cause of errors. Gather the following before you begin:

Your business (producer)

Business name and full address including postcode
SIC code — look this up on Companies House if unsure
Any environmental permit or exemption number you hold

The waste carrier

Carrier company name and address
Waste carrier registration number (CBDU or CBDL prefix)
Vehicle registration — recommended for every load

The receiving site

Site name and full address
Environmental permit number or registered exemption number
RPS number if applicable (Scotland and Northern Ireland)

The waste itself

Specific description — not "general waste"
6-digit EWC code
Quantity: weight (kg or tonnes) or volume (m³)
Physical form: solid, liquid, sludge, powder, or gas
Containment: skip, bags, loose, tanker, pallet, etc.

Always verify the carrier's registration on the Environment Agency public register before the waste leaves your site. If the carrier's registration has lapsed or is invalid and waste is transferred, the legal liability falls on you as the producer.

Step-by-step: filling out each section

The standard UK WTN template is divided into four parts: A (producer), B (carrier), C (receiving site), and D (waste description), followed by signatures and transfer details. Complete them in order.

Part A — Producer details

~2 min

This section identifies the business or individual responsible for producing the waste. If you are the waste producer, this is your information.

Name: your trading name or business name as registered
Address and postcode: the address of the site where the waste was produced — not necessarily your registered office
SIC code: your Standard Industrial Classification code (e.g. 38.11 for non-hazardous waste collection, 01.11 for cereal farming). Look yours up at Companies House
Status: mark whether you are acting as Producer, Carrier, Broker, or Dealer
Permit or licence number: if your site holds an environmental permit or waste management licence, include it here

Part B — Carrier details

~2 min

This section records the licensed waste carrier who is physically collecting and transporting the waste.

Carrier name and address: the company name and business address of the carrier, not the driver's personal details
Registration number: the waste carrier registration number — this begins with CBDU (upper tier) or CBDL (lower tier). This field is mandatory and must be accurate
Vehicle registration: recommended for every transfer; required if the carrier operates a specific vehicle fleet

Never accept a verbal assurance that a carrier is registered. Check the registration number on the EA register before the collection. An expired or fabricated registration number means the transfer did not happen with an authorised person — creating a Duty of Care breach for you regardless of whether you knew.

Part C — Receiving site details

~2 min

This identifies where the waste is going and confirms that the site is authorised to accept it.

Site name and address: the facility that will receive, treat, or dispose of the waste
Environmental permit number: most receiving sites hold an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency (or SEPA/NIEA). Include the full permit reference
Registered exemption number: if the site operates under a registered exemption rather than a full permit
RPS number: if applicable in Scotland or Northern Ireland

Part D — Waste description

~3 min

This is the most critical section and the most frequently completed incorrectly. Vague or inaccurate waste descriptions are the leading cause of compliance failures.

Description: be specific and accurate. "Mixed office paper and cardboard" is correct; "office waste" is not. "Used cooking oil from commercial kitchen" is correct; "food waste" is not
EWC code: the 6-digit European Waste Catalogue code that classifies your waste type — use our EWC code lookup tool if unsure. Codes ending in an asterisk (*) are hazardous — if your waste has one, stop and use a consignment note instead
Waste type: commercial, industrial, or construction waste
Physical form: solid, liquid, sludge, powder, or gas
Quantity: weight in kg or tonnes, or volume in m³ — estimate if an exact figure is not yet available, but note it as an estimate
Containment: how the waste is packaged or held — skip, bulk bags, loose in vehicle, tanker, palletised, etc.

Transfer details, date, and signatures

~2 min

The final section records when and where the transfer occurred, the intended treatment route, and collects signatures from all parties.

Transfer date: the date the waste physically left your site
Legislative country: England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland — each has slightly different requirements
Recovery or disposal code: an R code if the waste will be recovered or recycled (e.g. R3 for recycling, R1 for energy recovery); a D code if it will be disposed of (e.g. D1 for landfill). Choose R codes wherever possible — this demonstrates compliance with the waste hierarchy
Waste hierarchy confirmation: mandatory in Northern Ireland; best practice everywhere

Field-by-field reference: Parts A–D

The table below lists every field on a standard WTN, whether it is mandatory or recommended, and what to enter:

Part A — Producer

Field	Status	Notes
Business name	Required	Trading name or registered company name.
Address	Required	Full address of the site where waste was produced, including postcode.
SIC code	Required	Standard Industrial Classification code for your business activity.
Status	Required	Producer, Carrier, Broker, or Dealer — select whichever applies.
Permit / licence number	Recommended	Include if your site holds one. Leave blank if not applicable.

Part B — Carrier

Field	Status	Notes
Carrier name	Required	Company name of the registered waste carrier.
Address	Required	Carrier's registered business address.
Registration number	Required	CBDU (upper tier) or CBDL (lower tier) registration number. Verify on the EA register.
Vehicle registration	Recommended	Strongly recommended. Useful evidence if the load is stopped for inspection.
Contact details	Recommended	Phone or email. Not legally required but useful for resolution of any disputes.

Part C — Receiving site

Field	Status	Notes
Site name	Required	Name of the facility receiving the waste.
Address	Required	Full address of the receiving facility, including postcode.
Permit number	Required	Environmental permit reference. If the site operates under an exemption, use the exemption number instead.
RPS number	Recommended	Required in some circumstances in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Part D — Waste description

Field	Status	Notes
Waste description	Required	Specific and accurate — describes exactly what the waste is. Vague entries like "general waste" are not acceptable.
EWC code	Required	6-digit European Waste Catalogue code. Asterisk (*) entries are hazardous — switch to a consignment note if this applies.
Waste type	Required	Commercial, industrial, or construction.
Physical form	Required	Solid, liquid, sludge, powder, or gas.
Quantity	Required	Weight (kg or tonnes) or volume (m³). Estimates are acceptable if clearly marked as such.
Containment method	Required	Skip, bulk bags, loose in vehicle, tanker, palletised, etc.
Recovery / disposal code	Required	R code (recovery/recycling) or D code (disposal). Use R codes wherever possible.

Real worked example

Below is an example WTN for a non-hazardous farm waste transfer — agricultural plastic wrap collected by a licensed carrier and delivered to a recycling facility.

Completed example UK Waste Transfer Note for agricultural plastic wrap transfer — Example completed WTN — agricultural plastic wrap (EWC 02 01 04), 13 tonnes, RORO skip, transferred to a permitted recycling facility

What this example gets right:

Specific waste description: "Agricultural plastic wrap (silage bale wrap)" — not "farm waste" or "plastics"
Correct EWC code: 02 01 04 (waste plastics — except packaging — from agriculture). No asterisk, confirming it is non-hazardous
Verified carrier registration number listed in full with CBDU prefix
Accurate quantity and containment: 13 tonnes in a RORO skip
Recovery code R3 (recycling/reclamation of organic substances) — correct for a plastic recycling stream
All three parties have signed and the date of transfer is recorded

For a complete walkthrough of this example including all five sections, see our How to Write a Waste Transfer Note guide.

Signatures and distribution

A WTN is not legally valid until it has been signed by all parties involved in the transfer. The producer, carrier, and receiver each sign to confirm that the information on the note is accurate and that their respective Duty of Care responsibilities have been met.

Each party must retain a signed copy for the full retention period. On a paper WTN, this typically means the original goes to one party and carbon copies (or photocopies) go to the others. On a digital system, each party receives a signed PDF via email or can access the record directly through the platform.

Digital signatures are fully legally binding under the Electronic Communications Act 2000. There is no requirement for wet ink. A WTN signed electronically on a compliant platform carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature.

If the receiver is not present at the point of collection — for example, on a site drop where the carrier takes waste without an on-site representative — the receiver must sign the note as soon as practicable and retain their copy. Unsigned copies are not compliant.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

These are the errors that most frequently cause compliance failures, rejected WTNs, and Environment Agency enforcement action:

Vague or inaccurate waste description

Write exactly what the waste is — material, origin, and condition. "Mixed office paper and cardboard" is correct. "General office waste" or "rubbish" is not.

Wrong EWC code

Use the EWC lookup tool for every waste type you are not certain about. The code must match what is described. If the correct code has an asterisk (*), the waste is hazardous and requires a consignment note.

Unverified carrier registration

Check the carrier's CBDU or CBDL number on the EA register before every transfer. Registrations expire and must be renewed — a carrier you used last year may no longer be registered.

Missing or incomplete signatures

All three parties must sign before the transfer is complete. Never let waste leave your site without a signed note in place. Digital signatures obtained on a mobile device at point of collection solve this practically.

Using "D1 Landfill" when the waste is actually being recycled

Select the R code that matches the actual treatment route. Using a D code for a recycling stream misrepresents the waste hierarchy and can constitute a compliance failure.

Selecting the wrong legislative country

The legislative country determines which regulations apply and affects the retention period. Scotland requires three years; England, Wales, and Northern Ireland require two.

Not keeping copies for the full retention period

Paper records can be lost, damaged, or fade. Digital storage with automatic backup eliminates this risk entirely.

What to do if you make a mistake

If you identify an error after a WTN has been signed — for example, you discover the wrong EWC code was used — you should create a corrected version of the note and void the original. Both the original and the corrected version should be retained as part of your audit trail, with a clear record of what was changed and why.

Do not attempt to alter a signed paper WTN by crossing out and overwriting fields — this creates a document of uncertain validity and can raise questions during an audit. A clean corrected note is always preferable.

On digital platforms, corrections are handled through version history — the system records what changed, who made the change, and when, creating a transparent audit trail that is more defensible than a corrected paper document.

How long to keep WTNs

The minimum legal retention period varies by nation:

Nation	Minimum retention period	Regulator
England	2 years	Environment Agency
Wales	2 years	Natural Resources Wales
Northern Ireland	2 years	NIEA
Scotland	3 years	SEPA

Best practice is to keep records indefinitely. Digital storage costs nothing and means you can retrieve any WTN instantly during an audit or dispute, regardless of how long ago the transfer occurred. Paper records that fade, get damaged, or are lost before the retention period ends carry the same consequences as never having been completed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a new WTN for every load?

Yes, unless you have a Season Ticket in place. A Season Ticket covers regular transfers of the same waste type between the same parties for up to 12 months. Each individual load under a Season Ticket still requires a simple docket, but not a full WTN.

Is a digital WTN legally valid in the UK?

Yes. Digital WTNs are fully legal. Electronic signatures are binding under the Electronic Communications Act 2000. The note must contain all the same information that a paper WTN would — the format is flexible, the required fields are not.

What happens if I use the wrong EWC code?

Using the wrong EWC code is a compliance failure. If the correct code has an asterisk (*) and you used a non-hazardous code instead, the transfer was made without the correct documentation for hazardous waste — this carries significantly higher penalties. If you realise the error, create a corrected WTN immediately and retain both versions.

What if I make a mistake after the WTN has been signed?

Create a corrected version and void the original. Retain both as part of your audit trail with a note of what was changed and why. Do not alter a signed document by overwriting fields.

Can I use the same WTN template for hazardous waste?

No. Hazardous waste requires a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note. You can identify hazardous waste by its EWC code — entries marked with an asterisk (*) are hazardous. Using a WTN for hazardous waste transfers is a serious compliance failure.

Does the waste carrier need to sign the WTN at the point of collection?

Yes. The carrier should sign at the point of collection to confirm they have taken responsibility for the waste and that the details are accurate. If this is impractical — for example, on an unmanned drop-off — the carrier should sign as soon as possible afterwards and ensure the producer receives a signed copy.

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